The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-02-18
IMPROVED STOCK.
Some Points Which the Average Farmer
should Take Into Confederation.

While the great value Of pure-bred
stock is being strongly insisted on. and
while the best evidence Of this purity Of
blood is ordinarily to be found in the
recorded or registered pedigrees Of the
animals, it does not follow that all
farmers should keep only pure-bred
stock. Well-brcd animals are compar-
ativcly costly. Many farmers can not
afford To stock their farms with such.
1t is also true that for any purpose. ex-
cept breeding. animals with two or
three crosses Of improved blood are
often nearly or quite equal to the pure
bred ones. This fact makes it possible
for the great mass Of farmers to secure
much Of the merit Of the best stock
without cxtravagant expenditure. The
persistent Use Of wcll-brcd and good
sires is ready means Of improving
stock. and open 10 almost all. With
the smaller and lowcr-priced stock. a.
pigs and sheep. the extra cost Of pure
bred sire is not n serious obstacle
With horses and cattle the sires may be
owned by two or more. or their services
may be hired.
In multitudes Of cases it is advisable
to purchase ut least one or two pure
bred females as well as sire. With
average good fortune herd or flocE,
can soon be built up in this way. On
the farms Of the University Of IIlinoii
we have dozen descendants Of Short.
horn COW. which gave her first heife,
calf in 1881. the sale Of bull calves hav.
ing nearly or quite paid the cost oi
keeping in the interval.
1t is not advisable that the farmer o.
moderate means should purchase even
single animal at high price. or at
tempt to start with a large herd or
flock. Accidents may happen The
results may he unsatisfactory from any
one Of many causes The estimate in
which the breed selected Is held may
change for the worse. There may be
deaths or failure. to breed among the
stock. The purchaser may prove to be
unsuited to the work. On the othec
hand. it is great mistake to DELAY
year after year any attempt To improve
the stock on the farm. In ten years 4
fair-sized herl Of cattle and in less
than half that time a good flock of
sheep or herd Of hogs. can he had As
the progeny of only two or three
pounds.
The great increase in number of
well-bred stock Of the various classes
and of many breeds may prevent the
recurrence of extremely high pricos-
and it is not certain this will be :. mis-
there is no reason to be-
lieve that good stock viii ever sell a.
low a poor stock. The present de-
preston in prices seems good season
for investing rather than a cause for
The prices for ami
mails of some breeds NAV fail still lower
but in the case of a number Of others
Of breeds well established and the value
Of which has been abundantly proven
there is good reason TO believe the
lowest point has been reached
I have known of serious losses. many
absolutely failures. by those who have
engaged in inc stock breeding, but
these were always when there were
speculation and purchases in great
or at 4 high price. l do not
recall one case of failure or serious loss
from carefully considered investment
i'm a we'll tested breed ut moderate
E. O. MorroT. IN EHTaI
Nsu Yorker.